The shyness & social anxiety workbook : proven, step-by-step techniques for overcoming your fear

264 Pages·2008·2.31 MB·English

by  Antony

T A N E W H A R B I N G E R S E L F - H E L P W O R K B O O K
US $18.95 SELF-HELP
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Is Fear of Social Situations Keeping You from Living the Life You Want? S
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There’s nothing wrong with being shy. But if social anxiety keeps you from forming relationships with others, y
advancing in your education or your career, or carrying on with everyday activities, you may need to confront n
your fears to live an enjoyable, satisfying life. This new edition of The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook offers a e
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comprehensive program to help you do just that. s
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As you complete the activities in this workbook, you’ll learn to:
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• Find your strengths and weaknesses with a self-evaluation • Explore and examine your fears
• Create a personalized plan for change
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• Put your plan into action through gentle and gradual exposure to social situations
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Information about therapy, medications, and other resources is also included. After completing this program, c Anxiety
you’ll be well-equipped to make connections with the people around you. Soon, you’ll be on your way to enjoying i
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all the benefits of being actively involved in the social world.
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“Anyone who experiences significant anxiety when performing or when interacting with other people
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should read this book!” —AARON T. BECK, MD, university professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Workbook
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“Based on the tried and true methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy… the techniques described
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in this book will help you feel better when you are with other people or the center of attention.” t
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—RICHARD HEIMBERG, PH.D., director of the Adult Anxiety Clinic of Temple University, Philadelphia

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“This volume, written by a team composed of a psychologist and a psychiatrist, is an outstanding
workbook for any individual suffering from social anxiety or shyness.” —JACQUELINE B. PERSONS, o
SECOND EDITION
PH.D., clinical professor in the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley r
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“This is a must-read for persons suffering with social anxiety.” —MICHELLE G. CRASKE, PH.D., professor b
of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles o
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PROVEN, STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUES
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MARTIN M. ANTONY, PH.D., is professor of psychology at Ryerson University in Toronto, director of research at the
Anxiety Treatment and Research Centre at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, ON, and president-elect of the Canadian
ES FOR OVERCOMING YOUR FEAR
Psychological Association. He lives in Toronto, ON, Canada. DE
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RICHARD P. SWINSON, MD, is professor emeritus and past chair of the ON
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster Uni- ISBN-10: 1-57224-553-0 ND

versity in Hamilton, ON, Canada. He is also medical director of the Anxiety ISBN-13: 978-1-57224-553-2
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Treatment and Research Centre at Joseph’s Healthcare, also in Hamilton. W MARTIN M. ANTONY, PH.D.
51895 N
Swinson lives in Toronto, ON, Canada. I
NT
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S RICHARD P. SWINSON, MD
ON
newharbingerpublications, inc.
www.newharbinger.com NY
9 781572 245532
Shyness
The
&
Social
Anxiety
Workbook
SECOND EDITION
PROVEN, STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUES
FOR OVERCOMING YOUR FEAR
MARTIN M. ANTONY, PH.D.
RICHARD P. SWINSON, MD
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding
that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the
services of a competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2008 by Martin M. Antony and Richard P. Swinson
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup
Text design by Michele Waters
Acquired by Catharine Sutker
Edited by Carole Honeychurch
ISBN 978-1-57224-553-2 Paperback / ISBN 978-1-57224-682-9 Ebook

All Rights Reserved

Printed in the United States of America
____________________________________________________________________________________
The Library of Congress Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Antony, Martin M.
The shyness and social anxiety workbook : proven, step-by-step techniques for overcoming your fear / Martin M. Antony
and Richard P. Swinson. -- 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: The shyness & social anxiety workbook.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
ISBN-13: 978-1-57224-553-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-57224-553-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Bashfulness--Problems, exercises, etc. 2. Social phobia--Problems,
exercises, etc. I. Swinson, Richard P. II. Antony, Martin M. Shyness & social anxiety workbook. III. Title.
BF575.B3A58 2008
158.2--dc22
2008016264
For our students,
MMA and RPS

Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
Part 1 Understanding Your Social Anxiety
Chapter 1 Shyness and Social Anxiety 3
Chapter 2 Why Do You HaveThese Fears? 27
Chapter 3 Getting to Know YourSocial Anxiety 37
Chapter 4 Making a Plan for Change 61
Chapter 5 Medications for Social Anxiety and Social Anxiety Disorder 89
Chapter 6 Changing Your Anxious Thoughts and Expectations 103
Chapter 7 Confronting Your Fears Through Exposure 139
Chapter 8 Exposure to Social Situations 161
Chapter 9 Exposure to Uncomfortable Sensations 187
Chapter 10 Communicating More Effectively 199
Chapter 11 Maintaining Your Improvements and Planning for the Future 229
The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
Recommended Readings 235
National and International Associations Providing Referrals 241
Internet Resources 245
References 247
vi
Acknowledgments
There are many people without whom this workbook would not have been possible. First,
we wish to acknowledge those who were instrumental in developing and investigating the
treatments described in this book. Dr. Aaron T. Beck pioneered many of the cognitive
strategies that are used throughout the world to treat anxiety, depression, and many other
conditions. We are also indebted to Drs. Isaac Marks, S. Rachman, Joseph Wolpe, David
Barlow, and others who helped to develop and study the exposure-based strategies that
are now commonplace for the treatment of anxiety. We also acknowledge the impor-
tant contributions of Drs. Richard Heimberg, Samuel Turner, Deborah Beidel, David M.
Clark, and others who adapted these cognitive and behavioral methods for the treatment
of social anxiety.
A special thank you goes out to our colleagues, clients, and patients who provided many
helpful suggestions over the years that informed this second edition of the Shyness and Social
Anxiety Workbook. Finally, we wish to express our gratitude to the staff at New Harbinger
Publications (including Carole Honeychurch, Matthew McKay, Catharine Sutker, Amy
Shoup, Dorothy Smyk, and many others), who worked closely with us through all stages
of developing, editing, and marketing this book.
Martin M. Antony, Ph.D.
Richard Swinson, M.D.
Toronto, Canada

Introduction
Shyness and social anxiety are universal. From time to time, almost everyone has felt
nervous speaking in front of a group or anxious when interacting with another person.
We wonder if a presentation has gone well or whether we have made a good impression
on a first date or a job interview. In fact, even some celebrities, who make their living
in the public eye, have been described as excessively shy from time to time, including
Harrison Ford (actor), Mary Chapin Carpenter (singer), Michelle Pfeiffer (actor), David
Bowie (rock star), David Letterman (talk-show host), Nicole Kidman (actor), and Carrie
Underwood (American Idol winner). There have also been reports in the media about
musical performers like Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, and Donny Osmond suffering
from performance anxiety. Even radio “shock jock” Howard Stern has described himself
as being painfully shy when he is outside the safe confines of his on-air studio. (FYI,
details on other shy celebrities can be found at http://www.shakeyourshyness.com/shy-
people.htm).
Shyness and social anxiety can range in intensity from being fairly mild to completely
incapacitating. In extreme cases, social anxiety may prevent an individual from developing
friendships, working, or even standing in a public place. Regardless of whether your fears
are minor or completely overwhelming, the strategies described in this book will help you
to deal more effectively with social anxiety.
We recommend that you read this workbook in the order in which the chapters appear.
The initial chapters are designed to educate you about the nature of social anxiety and to
teach you how to evaluate the main features of your own social anxiety. Then we discuss
the costs and benefits of different treatment approaches and help you to select among
available treatment options. Subsequent chapters provide detailed information about par-
ticular treatment strategies including medications, cognitive therapy for changing your
anxious thoughts, using exposure to confront the situations you fear, and fine-tuning your